The night passed peacefully. Tatiana didn't wake up from any nightmares. 😊
The next day, Adam was happily woken up by Heather and drove off to the medical center.
"Cristina, let's go," Adam said, waving at her after changing into his scrubs.
"Do I really need to come?" Cristina grumbled, clearly not thrilled.
"You don't have to," Adam replied, giving her a look. "But then don't whine next time when I'm assisting Dr. Montgomery with surgery and you're all jealous about it! Plus, we're about to become official residents soon, and your rotation record? It's the worst. You've basically camped out in cardiothoracic surgery. You sure you don't want to brush up on other departments?"
"Okay, fine—but tell me, is this patient actually getting major surgery?" Cristina asked, staring him down. "I'm not wasting my time on some basic gyno case."
"Up to you," Adam said with a sly grin. "I've given you the chance." Then he turned and walked off.
"Ugh, fine, I'm coming!" Cristina gritted her teeth and hurried after him.
"What changed your mind?" Adam asked, glancing at her as she caught up.
"Because I realized how dumb I was being," Cristina said with a self-deprecating laugh. "Who's Dr. Montgomery? And who are you? If it's not a big case, why would you two be involved?"
"You're finally catching on," Adam chuckled.
"So, who's the patient this time?" Cristina pressed.
"You'll see when we get there," Adam said, picking up the pace.
---
In the Hospital Room
A young blonde woman in a hospital gown lay on the bed. Beside her stood another girl in a red hoodie, keeping her company—the vibe between them screaming sisterly love. When Adam walked in and saw this, he froze for a second. Couldn't help it. The scene, that red hoodie—it hit him right in the feels.
Cristina noticed Adam's little smirk and gave him a sideways glance. But when she saw the patient and her friend starting to look at them funny, she tugged Adam's sleeve and took the lead.
"Hi, I'm Dr. Yang, and this is Dr. Duncan," Cristina said, introducing them as she grabbed the chart from the bedside. "Jilly, have you been having pain and bleeding?"
"For a few weeks now," the red-hoodie girl answered for her. "It's probably no big deal, but I still dragged her here." She smiled at Jilly on the bed. "Don't worry, I took the day off from the restaurant. We're getting you checked out properly today."
Adam quietly marveled to himself. So similar! Whenever Juno and Karen were together, Juno was the one doing all the talking too. Karen? Silent blonde beauty, just like this.
"Do we really need this many doctors?" the red-hoodie girl asked, eyeing Adam. "Especially a guy, for Jilly's cervical cancer check?"
"Hello, I'm Dr. Montgomery, Jilly's attending," Dr. Montgomery said, walking in just in time to overhear. "It's not a cervical cancer check—it's a pelvic exam. This is a teaching hospital, so I have interns assist. Dr. Duncan and Dr. Yang are our best interns. If that makes you uncomfortable—"
"No, it's fine," Jilly said with a small smile, finally speaking up. "I'm helping you learn, right?"
"Exactly," Adam said, shaking off his thoughts and nodding at her with a warm smile.
"Cool," Jilly said, tugging at the obviously annoyed red-hoodie girl. "Rachel, it's okay."
"Fine," Rachel muttered, placing her hand over Jilly's, reluctantly agreeing.
Adam couldn't help but think to himself, That's backwards. It's usually Juno calming down Karen, who's got a thing against guys. Still, he kept his cool, staying professional. If these two didn't remind him so much of Juno and Karen, he wouldn't have slipped even for a second.
"Dr. Yang, you're up," Dr. Montgomery said, stepping aside to let Cristina take over.
"Alright," Cristina said, a bit thrown off but stepping up anyway. She slipped on gloves and turned to Jilly. "I'll warm up the speculum so it's more comfortable. If you can relax your knees a bit, that'd help."
Jilly took a deep breath, nodded, and glanced at Rachel. "You don't have to stay here…"
"Are you kidding? Of course I'm staying!" Rachel interrupted, grabbing Jilly's hand. "We do everything together—this isn't any different. Remember our promise?"
"From life to death, never apart," Jilly said, finishing the line with Rachel as they squeezed each other's hands.
"Oh, so you two are…" Cristina started, her eyes widening in realization.
"No," Jilly said, shaking her head with a laugh. "Rachel and I were born on the same day, same moment. We've been together since birth—best sisters ever."
"Got it," Cristina said neutrally. "Okay, I'm starting the exam. Relax your muscles, and you'll feel the speculum…"
She stopped mid-sentence, looking up at Dr. Montgomery and Adam with a serious expression.
"What's wrong?" Dr. Montgomery asked, confused. "If you can't find the cervix, angle the speculum downward."
Cristina stepped back, gesturing for her to look.
Dr. Montgomery peered in, and her face turned grim instantly.
"Okay, Jilly…" she began, about to end the exam.
"Wait," Jilly said, taking a shaky breath to stay calm. "He hasn't seen yet. You said it's a teaching hospital—he needs to see to learn, right?"
"Dr. Duncan," Dr. Montgomery said, stepping aside.
Adam took a look and sighed inwardly. He caught the complicated look on Jilly's face and realized she might've already suspected her condition. Made sense—how could she not know, feeling like this?
"What's going on?" Rachel demanded. "Oh my God, Jilly, are you pregnant?"
"No, I'm not," Jilly said, shaking her head. Then, with a flicker of hope, she looked at Adam and the others. "Right?"
"No," Dr. Montgomery said after a pause, shaking her head.
Adam and Cristina exchanged a glance. They could tell Jilly might've preferred hearing she was pregnant over what was really happening. For now, they'd need more detailed tests. Dr. Montgomery gave a few instructions and left Jilly in Adam and Cristina's hands.
---
In the CT Room
"Now I believe they're just pure sisterly soulmates," Cristina said with a sigh. "Otherwise, how could Rachel not notice that massive cervical tumor? I've never seen one that big."
"Yeah," Adam agreed. "They're really something special."
During the exam, thanks to their uncanny resemblance to Juno and Karen, Adam had been quietly watching their every move. He could feel the deep sisterly bond in their subtle expressions—no hint of anything romantic, no impurities, just the purest, most genuine connection. Not blood sisters, but closer than that. Their "from life to death" pact? It hit hard. This was the best kind of family—nothing like those fake, backstabbing "sisters" out there.
---